1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to compressed gas storage devices. More particularly, however, this invention relates to methods and devices for safely connecting a release valve to the storage device.
2. Background Issues and Related Art
The use of compressed gases in paintball and other activities can present several safety hazards. Compressed gas cylinders, for example, pose certain safety hazards simply because they contain gas under pressure. Regardless of the properties of the gas, any gas under pressure can explode if the cylinder in which it is contained is improperly stored or handled. Pressurization of a cylinder creates a potential hazard even for inert gases. A typical cylinder pressurized to 2000 psi, for example, contains energy equivalent to nearly one and a half pounds of TNT. Failure of the cylinder and/or valve can therefore create an extremely dangerous projectile.
Specifically, rapid release of stored gases can cause the storage container to act as a projectile. For this reason, improperly releasing the gas from a compressed gas cylinder is extremely dangerous. Compressed gas storage cylinders, regardless of whether they are made of aluminum, some other metal, or a composite fiber are hard and heavy. A sudden release of the gas can cause the cylinder to become a missile-like projectile, with devastating consequences. Compressed gas cylinders have been known, for example, to penetrate concrete-block walls and severely injure or kill people.
In the sport of paintball, compressed gas cylinders are used to provide a supply of compressed gas for propelling paintballs from paintball markers (or guns). FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional carbon dioxide (CO2) cylinder 150 connected to a paintball gun 100 through a release valve 155.
Referring to FIG. 1, compressed gas storage tanks typically include a valve fitting 155 (generally brass) attached to an aluminum or wrapped carbon fiber compressed gas storage tank 150 (also referred to as a “cylinder,”“bottle,” or “canister”). The valve fitting 155 is typically secured into the bottle 150 via a threaded connection. The valve fitting 155 generally provides an additional threaded connection on its opposite end between the compressed gas cylinder and the paintball gun. Unfortunately, the failure of the valve fitting 155 itself or of its connection to the storage tank 150 can result in a rapid release of compressed gas from the cylinder 150, creating a potentially lethal projectile.
As reported by the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) at http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PREREL/prhtml04/04105.html, failure of the valve fitting 155 may result when the bottle 150 is removed from the paintball gun 100. If the user is not particularly careful in ensuring that the valve fitting 155 turns with the bottle 150, the bottle 150 may be unscrewed from the valve fitting 155, thereby resulting in the rapid release of any remaining compressed gas. In this circumstance, the bottle 150 may be launched from the paintball gun 100. At least two deaths are known to have resulted from this occurrence.
FIG. 2 is a close-up view of the conventional valve fitting 155 between the CO2 bottle 150 and the receptacle on the paintball gun 100. When removing the compressed gas tank 150 from the paintball gun 100, the valve fitting 155 must remain connected to the cylinder 150 to prevent the potentially deadly expulsion of the tank from the gun 100.
Although loctite or some other adhesive may be used to more rigidly secure the threaded connection between the valve fitting 155 and the bottle 150, the connection can wear down over time or users may tamper with it in an attempt to modify the bottle connection. In addition, the compressed gas cylinders 150 may be dropped or jarred in a way that might loosen or destroy the valve connection to the bottle 150.
The CPSC has recommended painting lines from the valve to the bottle to ensure that they remain aligned during bottle removal from the paintball gun. FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate this method of ensuring proper alignment between the bottle 150 and the valve 155. Referring to FIG. 3, a painted line 160 indicates proper alignment between the valve fitting 155 and the bottle 150. Referring to FIG. 4, if the line 160a painted on the valve fitting 155 becomes unaligned with the line 160b painted on the bottle 150, this alerts the user that the valve fitting 155 and bottle 150 are becoming disconnected.
While this solution helps prevent a user from accidentally unscrewing the bottle 150 from the valve fitting 155, it requires attentiveness by the user and does not solve problems resulting from other valve failures, such as those resulting from dropped or jarred cylinders. What is needed is a way to better prevent the uncontrolled release of compressed gas from the compressed gas tank resulting from the failure of the valve/bottle connection.